Re-designs, consistency, and engagement – What a trio!

Businesses dedicate a lot of budget and effort to developing their brand(s). Those in the know realise it’s a good brand that stands the test of time. And that’s because it evokes customer loyalty through trust in what it stands for, be that innovation, quality, reliability of service, or street cred etc. But what can let some brands down, however, is a lack of consistency… a gotcha that really should be avoided at all costs.

Attaining brand consistency

Think about it. What does your brand represent? What core attributes does it have that you want someone to connect with? It’ll be things like business values and USPs, and these will often reach an individual on a subliminal level, so they matter a lot.

Marketers face many problems now, however. Firstly, there’s the immediate nature of many of the marketing channels available, for example, social media. It takes a few seconds to compose a tweet, attach an image, and press go. Inconsistency can creep in very quickly. Even emails can suffer; though a professionally designed template can help keep that on track. But this highlights another aspect that’s often overlooked, namely that design for print follows a different set of rules to design for digital communication. A business needs a marketer in the know to make sure mixed messaging doesn’t arise. Only if your audience has a clear idea of your identity, values, and USPs every time they touch your brand do you know you’ve got it right.

So should you ever think about doing a design refresh?

This is a question we’re often asked, and it’s a good one. When you first developed your brand, you’ll have thought long and hard about what messages you’re trying to convey and the best way to do that. Often businesses then worry that any design refresh will call the original branding into question – and allow a hint of insincerity to creep in.

The good news is that if a design refresh is done correctly, however, the opposite will actually happen.

Original branding messages stay fully intact

An important message of current contemporary thinking emerges

People feel your business has its finger on the pulse and is not out of date

Your brand continues to catch the eye

Refreshing your layouts and designs, therefore, is actually a must

Businesses can’t sit still. Markets change. Peoples’ attitudes shift. What’s popular moves on. A brand that wants to continue to transmit the same core messages actually has to make design changes to continue to engage its audience. So things like a regular email and newsletter design refresh is a MUST rather than whim.

And the additional benefits are worth it

We’re not big fans of doing something just to cling onto the coat tails of your competitors. We believe in leaping ahead. And regular design reviews are a valuable tool for achieving this. They:

Keep your marketing collateral technically up to date – Every design refresh forces you to review how you’re working technically. From browser security changes, to email app updates, to spam filters, and beyond. Regular re-designs stop you from getting caught out.

Prove to your customers you’re constantly evolving as a business – Nothing suggests evolution, as opposed to knee jerk reaction, better than subtle changes in your marketing design. It implies a business that’s in control of itself. It oozes confidence and gives assurance.

Refresh awareness and renew the messages behind your brand – Anybody familiar with your brand will spot the refresh and naturally be more inquisitive. If you’re launching a new product or service, doing it alongside a design refresh of your normal email template is a great idea, therefore, for example.

If you’d like to understand more about how consistency matters to your brand, whilst design updates do too, then please do get in contact. We’d be delighted to discuss how this interesting conundrum could help both your audience engagement and marketing.